5 Ways to Give Blank Walls a Bold Facelift

Think beyond the usual poster, painting, and photograph trifecta. These five distinctive ideas take your home to the next level.

Think beyond the usual poster, painting, and photograph trifecta. These five distinctive ideas take your home to the next level.

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Andrew Wood

Turn Humble Tools into a Winning Composition

Supplies like scissors, clippers, letter openers, wooden drafting triangles, and more take on utilitarian beauty when neatly aligned above a desk. And from a practical standpoint, you'll always be able to see clearly which tools you have on hand.

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Andrew Wood

Tweak the Concept Of Art

A color-splotched palette, leaned casually against a wall, is an unexpected—yet visually compelling—alternative to a finished canvas. Comb antiques malls for the real deal, or dash off your own by playing around with paint combinations on a salvaged board.

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Andrew Wood

Curate by Theme

That age-old decorating mantra still holds true: Group like with like for maximum impact. Even an assortment of kitschy, oceanic trays achieves a certain grandeur when they're hung as a tight bunch.

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Andrew Wood

Invest in one Showstopping Collectible

Look closely, because this dramatic classical-style cabinet filled with drawers and boxes is actually a 19th-century theater backdrop that continues to triumph as trompe l'oeil art. Hunt down these realistic murals online, using search terms such as "hand-painted backdrop" or "trompe l'oeil mural." For more-immediate gratification, check out the 6'W x 8'4"H bibliothèque mural—just $65—at muralstop.com.

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Andrew Wood

Behold the Magic Of Vintage Mirrors

Hankering for loads of glamour on the cheap? This cache of small-scale 1950s looking glasses adds up to one majorly sparkling focal point. The dark-green paint and matching velvet settee practically fade into the background, while the loose symmetry creates an orderly, knockout effect.

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